rendering for streaming servers

JHendrix2 wrote on 5/23/2012, 5:44 PM

OK so i remember the workflow for web video in general using handbrake.

but has anyone here used

Flash media Sever
Wowza
AWS S3 with Cloudfront (which uses Flash media Sever)

what is the best format to supply video to these streaming servers?

Comments

amendegw wrote on 5/23/2012, 6:18 PM

I've used the Amazon Cloudfront - not Flash Media Server or Wowza. I'd be surprised all would not support h.264 mp4 format.

The key in HandBrake is to make sure the "Web optimized" checkbox is checked.

...Jerry

JHendrix2 wrote on 5/23/2012, 7:42 PM

Amazon Cloudfront uses Flash Media Server

I have heard that Wowza and FMS require AAC audio for iOS

amendegw wrote on 5/24/2012, 4:11 AM

I just re-read the title of this thread - "rendering for streaming servers" If you are rendering for true streaming rather than progressive download, the "web optimize" option may or may-not need to be checked. I can't remember and can't check because my free trial of Cloudfront has expired (and my ISP doesn't support rttp streaming). A couple things I'm pretty sure of: 1) "Web Optimize" will not hurt, and 2) h.264 mp4 renders will work nicely for either progressive download or streaming.

There is a subtle difference between "streaming" and "progressive download" Many people use the term "streaming" when they mean "progressive download" (I sometimes slip myself). With "streaming" can you jump forward to a point that has not yet been downloaded. see: Streaming vs. progressive download: Understanding the difference The issue with "streaming" is... if you don't have the bandwidth, the online video just won't play. YouTube uses a concept called "pseudo streaming" which "progressively downloads", but still allows the user to click the progress bar to jump ahead.

Now the caveat. I'm pretty the above paragraph is still true. It was 6 months ago, but things change mighty fast in the wild wild web.

...Jerry

JHendrix2 wrote on 5/24/2012, 8:25 AM

sounds like its the same as encoding for progessive

from wowza support

You have to encode multiple files for multi-bitrate streaming. Each has to be key frame aligned. I'm not sure about Handbrake, but we know that Expression 4 Encoder is capable of creating multiple key frame aligned encodes. Take a look at this article

http://www.wowza.com/forums/content.php?192-Encoding-Suggestions-for-Video-on-Demand

JHendrix2 wrote on 5/24/2012, 12:42 PM

from wowza:

We have experience with Expression 4 Encoder and we know it produces key frame aligned sets as required for switching in multi-bitrate streaming You can try it with Handbrake, I have not tested it.

--

OK what are key frame aligned sets?

I take that to mean that sets mean sets of videos

anyway on the hb forum they said hb "should" produce aligned